Citing public safety concerns, a state board took the unusual step Tuesday of suspending the engineering license of a former Neenan Co. employee who worked on school buildings across Colorado.

The state Board of Licensure for Architects, Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors voted unanimously to suspend Gary Howell’s license to practice in Colorado until a hearing is held.

“I think it was appropriate for the board to take action on this sooner rather than later,” said chairman William “Bud” Starker of Starker Construction in Wheat Ridge. “I think we acted in accordance to the rules and kept paramount the safety of the people of Colorado while providing due process for the respondent.”

Howell’s lawyer, Bryan Kuhn, disagreed, saying he hasn’t even been informed of accusations against Howell.

“How can that be due process?” he said.

The board, which falls under the jurisdiction of the state Department of Regulatory Agencies, opened an inquiry into Howell’s work after a Denver Post report detailed a litany of problems with a Neenan Co. school in Meeker, in northwestern Colorado.

Howell worked on at least 19 schools for Neenan from his hiring in December 2007 to his firing last month on the same day DORA launched its inquiry.

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